The Birthplace of College Football! Road To CFB Visits A Rutgers Game Day
In 1869, New Brunswick, N.J., hosted the first-ever college football game. 155 years later, the sport has evolved into a giant and the foundation for my love of sports. As a finale to the 2024 travel schedule, I made my pilgrimage to Rutgers University and the Birthplace of College Football. While not in the direct national consciousness in terms of recent competitiveness, a Rutgers football game day is one of the most tradition-rich in the country.
Read on for the complete Rutgers game day guide. Read further for a truly shocking result on the field.
The Bells Must Ring!
A Warm New Jersey Welcome
Before parking your vehicle on-site, all college football fans should take a pilgrimage across the river. Visit the College Avenue Gymnasium on Rutgers’ campus to see the site where the first-ever college football game was played. In 1869, Princeton and Rutgers (then the College of New Jersey and Rutgers College) played a game little resemblant of today’s game. Rutgers won, 6-4. Perhaps unremarkable today, it’s a must and the Birthplace of College Football is a game day staple at Rutgers.
Unfortunately, parking here is pricy. I opted to park at St. George’s Greek Orthodox Church just a block away from the stadium. It’s a great location for ease of access to game day and a very easy exit, but prices jumped. There’s really no viable options under $30 in 2024.
Four hours before kickoff, the Rutgers Boardwalk opens for business. Themed after the famous Jersey Shore Boardwalk, there’s carnival games, rides, giveaways, and even a petting zoo – all for free. Local food trucks line the alley (I opted for a chicken cutlet sandwich). This is the best family fan zone I’ve seen to date and is absolutely worth a visit. You won’t have to head far from the Boardwalk to get in great position for the Scarlet Walk. I recommend getting in place near Athletes Glenn to see both the band and walk without having to move.
This week, Rutgers dubbed its Scarlet Walk the “Senior Walk,” where they individually recognized all of Rutgers’ seniors in front of hundreds of fans. Every team has a team walk, but the Scarlet Walk is one of the most popular and is a must on game day. Another unique fixture of the Scarlet Walk and preceding pep rally: fans are taught the in-stadium chants and traditions over PA. Most everywhere else, you’re pretty much told to catch up.
Tailgates cover a wide area flanking either side of the Boardwalk (and some other lots).
The Birthplace of College Football
A Rutgers football game day is rooted in local passion. From the Scarlet Knights’ roster to the alumni and fanbase, everything is distinctly Jersey. While the rest of college football moves away from regional identity, Rutgers remains rooted in it. The local flare gives Rutgers a distinct and memorable feel. Even the halftime show featured themes of New Jersey, from its music to formations.
Before heading through the gates, be sure to rub the foot of the statue in the Scarlet Walk for luck. It was constructed to commemorate the first college football game and was gifted to the school in 1997. You’ll want to be in your seats 30 minutes early to catch the entrance of the Scarlet Knight and Excalibur, a live horse mascot (which I’m a sucker for, we need more of these in the sport). Immediately following, Rutgers storms the field.
A unique facet of pregame, the PA announcer tells the crowd to “Give a warm Jersey welcome” to the visiting team – a rare announcement of the opposing team in the college space. Of course, the reception given to Illinois matched the cold of the air that afternoon.
Around SHI Stadium is plastered the number 52. In 2010, defensive tackle Eric LeGrand suffered a spinal injury making a tackle against Army that left him paralyzed. LeGrand did regain movement to his upper extremities and feeling throughout his body. His number was retired by the school and its posting conveys a message of belief, hope, dedication, positivity, and effort.
#25 Illinois 38, Rutgers 31
According to forecasts, Piscataway was supposed to warm up into the 50s this afternoon. As a born Midwesterner, that calls for a rain jacket and jeans. However, patchy sun, gusty and persistent wind, and temperatures that never hit the big 5-0 caused this game day to be particularly chilly. On the first level, the bathrooms offer heated reprieve (and warm hand dryers!). But nowhere in SHI Stadium was safe from swirling winds.
The first half moved along just fine as Rutgers found the end zone with seconds left to take a 17-9 lead over the ranked visitors. Even as the third quarter came to a close, the Scarlet Knights appeared poised to pick up their first ranked win since 2009. The turn of the fourth quarter plays a clip from the Sopranos (keeping with the Jersey theme), leading to “Don’t Stop Believing,” a revered tradition.
Illinois stole the lead back and an Athan Kaliakmanis interception appeared to break the belief of Rutgers fans that day. But the interception was overturned and Scarlet Knights star senior Kyle Monangai willed his way to the go-ahead touchdown with 68 seconds left on the clock. In a wild turn of events, Illinois QB Luke Altmyer pushed his team downfield to set up for a 53-yard field goal directly into the wind, down 31-10, with just seconds left. Rutgers took a time out.
The time out helped Bret Bielema realize that his kicker hadn’t come anywhere near the crossbar in warmups that direction. Illinois opted to go for the touchdown. NFL-bound WR Pat Bryant caught a pass over the middle and outran every Rutgers defender laterally to find pay dirt and a victory. Absolutely stunning.
While I felt for the Rutgers fans that day, it did make for about an hour of terrific postgame radio content to listen to on my way out.
Rutgers Football Game Day Grades
Stadium: B. There’s not one but two concourses you can traverse without losing sight of the game, an entry level and a lower level. The venue has ample space to move around, features no bad seats, and is all around unoffensive. The red atrium to the northeast is a unique feature of the stadium. If this venue sat on the original site of college football, it’d bump up even higher in grade.
Tradition: A. The Birthplace of College Football is about as tradition-rich as it gets. But Rutgers also features several chants, Scarlet Knight & Excalibur, and the Scarlet Walk. You can’t tell the history of college football without Rutgers.
Atmosphere: C-. Just because Rutgers is one of the most tradition-rich programs in the nation doesn’t mean winning is also a tradition. The Scarlet Knights are indeed bowl bound in 2024, but a cold, noon kickoff kept many fans away and chilled those in attendance. As a result, the stadium just wasn’t that engaged.
Tailgating: C. Again, late-November, chilly, noon kickoff… it chased many would-be tailgaters away. Those tailgating did have great setups (and terrific food) and every plot featured a unique flag or two. At its peak, Rutgers tailgating probably earns a higher grade, but I am holding them to other Big Ten standards.
Fans: B. Rutgers is a melting pot of the three major regions of New Jersey: South, Central, and North. It’s a cultural union that’s still uniquely local and the folks in Piscataway are both proud of that and friendly. Those that showed up are extremely passionate about their team and, surprisingly, the student section remained pretty full for a majority of the game.
Extracurriculars: A. You don’t have to trek to New York City to find something to eat or do, though a connecting train does give you the option. New Brunswick is really the town of influence around Rutgers (campus sits in New Brunswick across the river) and it offers lots of local eateries, bars, and shops. Rutgers sits not far from major U.S. metros like Philadelphia and NYC, giving visitors endless opportunities.
Special thank you to Rutgers athletics for a warm welcome and pregame tour. Thank you to Jim Johnson for the hospitality at his tailgate and for making me feel at home at SHI Stadium.
Follow Road to CFB on Instagram
